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Insights on Editing with Meriah Gutterson of Marked Up Editing

In this episode of the Killer Pros podcast, host Tanner interviews Meriah Gutterson, an experienced editor from Marked Up Editing. They discuss the editing process, the importance of maintaining story continuity, and the common mistakes new authors make. Mariah shares valuable insights on how to work with an editor and the benefits of early consultation. She also provides tips for character development, maintaining an author's voice, and meeting reader expectations. They touch upon the intricacies of editing for different English dialects and explore how editors can impact an author's growth. This episode is a must-listen for indie authors seeking professional editing guidance and understanding the nuances of crafting compelling narratives.

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

01:12 Journey into Editing

01:50 Editing Process and Preferences

03:02 Working with Authors

04:29 When to Hire an Editor

07:37 Common Editing Challenges

12:31 Maintaining Author's Voice

15:01 Editing Across Regions

15:56 The Importance of Trust in Editing

16:32 Navigating Market Trends and Feedback

16:59 Creative Exercises for Writers

17:29 Developing Author Voice and Style

20:18 Character Development Techniques

23:12 Common Mistakes of First-Time Authors

28:00 Balancing Plot and Character

29:52 How to Contact and Work with an Editor

32:55 Show Announcements and Closing Remarks

Looking for an editor? Connect with Meriah at: https://www.markedupediting.com

or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Marked-Up-Editing-61557311480178/

Intro & Outro music: Super Strange Synths by YellowTree -- https://freesound.org/s/482961/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Connect with the show at: https://www.killerprose.com/voicemail/

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About the Podcast

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Killer Prose

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About your host

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Tanner Rutledge

Tanner Rutledge writes small-town mysteries and supernatural thrillers. Before turning to fiction, he spent 15 years as a private investigator, working on everything from missing persons to homicide cases. Those years gave him an intimate understanding of motivation and the quick thinking it takes to crack a case.

Tanner’s love of storytelling started early. He was the kid who wrote spooky tales for his second-grade classmates and stayed was always up late reading Stephen King and RL Stine under the covers. In college, he studied criminal justice but couldn’t stay away from creative writing and literature classes. When the world shut down in 2020, he finally gave himself permission to shift his focus back to writing and hasn’t looked back since.

He also hosts The Killer Prose Podcast, where he talks about the craft of writing, creativity, and the strange overlap between true crime and the paranormal.

When he’s not writing, you can usually find him spending time with his family or hanging out with his little black cat, Broccoli—his constant companion and occasional editor.